With two days to go before Britain votes, candidates from every major political party have signed the LGBT+ Manifesto – except for candidates from the Conservative and Brexit parties.

Not a single candidate from either party has signed the LGBT+ Manifesto, which was launched at the start of the election campaign six weeks ago by the Peter Tatchell Foundation. 

Party politics

The Green Party has the most signatories, followed by the Liberal Democrats, with Labour trailing third.

The PTF Director, Peter Tatchell, said: “It is disappointing that not a single candidate from either the Brexit or Conservative parties have pledged their support for the LGBT+ Manifesto. This will be interpreted by many people as evidence that these two parties do not care about LGBT+ equal rights.  

“We are grateful for strong Green Party support and disappointed that so few Labour candidates have signed up. 

“The LGBT+ community has made great gains in the last two decades, with the repeal of all major anti-gay laws. But the battle for equality is not yet over. There are still unresolved issues. Our manifesto is urging parliamentary candidates to support further advances for the LGBT+ community.”

“The manifesto pledges are simple and low-cost. Politicians who commit to the LGBT+ manifesto will send a clear signal that equality is important and that LGBT lives matter.”

Both candidates and members of the public can sign the pledge by visiting the website.

LGBT+ Manifesto – The eight pledges

1.  Relationship & Sex Education: Mandatory LGBT-inclusive relationship and sex education in every school.

2.  Trans rights: Allow trans people to legally affirm their gender identity by a process of statutory self-declaration.

3.  PrEP: Make the cost-effective HIV prevention drug, PrEP, available to everyone, irrespective of postcode.

4.  Gay compensation: Compensate the thousands of men prosecuted for consenting adult same-sex acts under past discriminatory laws.

5.  Protect refugees: End the detention and deportation of LGBT+ asylum seekers who have fled persecution abroad.

6.  Blood equality: End the blanket restrictions on gay and bisexual male blood donors and switch to individual risk assessment.

7.  Ethical foreign policy: Make UK aid and trade deals contingent on the recipient country’s respect for LGBT+ and other human rights.

8.  Extend disregards and pardons: Add gay offences not currently included, such as soliciting and prosecutions under generic military, public order and ancient indecency statutes.